


Ghost

by TacoNinja98



Series: Synthetic [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 10:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6850264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TacoNinja98/pseuds/TacoNinja98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I thought you were dead."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I finished this one ages ago and decided to upload it now while I suffer from writers block with the latest chapter of "Not The World I Wanted" (I haven't forgotten about it I promise!). This is a continuation of my very first fic, "Coming Down", and I do plan to extend it further than one chapter, but not until I've covered a bit more of "Not The World I Wanted". There is a mention of suicide here (no hard feelings Pretzel Gravy). As always, I'm too lazy to proofread so apologies for errors. Go check me out on tumblr (omgtaconinja) ;)

"Stop." A gruff voice shoots through the dark alley. The raider, who was holding Nora at gunpoint (not that Nora wouldn't be able to take care of the raider, she just really wasn't in the mood for a fight), lowered his gun and squinted towards the direction of the voice.

"The fuck? Who's there? I swear I'll rip your fuckin' throat out..." The raider snarled before turning and pressing his pipe pistol to Nora's forehead. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, followed by a flash of light and the raider crumpling to the floor. A figure emerged from the darkness, wearing a black jacket and a gas mask that covered the lower half of their face, the lower half of a skull painted on it. "I said stop." The figure said to the raider's corpse as they holstered their weapon.

"Not that I don't appreciate the help, but who are you?" Nora asked the mysterious person.

"A ghost from your past." The figure turned to Nora. Their eyes were very familiar, so familiar that she'd recognise them no matter what.

"Piper?" The figure seemed to flinch as the name slipped from Nora's mouth.

Piper slipped off her hood and removed her mask, revealing a remarkably different looking face. She was thinner, although more muscular, her features more gaunt. She now had very noticeable scars on her face, like a scar across her right eyebrow, and from the left corner of her mouth up to her cheek. Her most noticeable change, however, was her lack of long hair. Instead of her once-black long hair, was now hair that had been shaven at the sides, the top about 2 or 3 inches long, hair that was also now graying in colour.

"That's a name I haven't heard in years." Her voice was cold.

"I thought you were dead." Nora's was even colder. "It's been five years, Piper." Piper flinched again.

"I'm sorry-"

"FIVE FUCKING YEARS!" Nora roared. "For all I fucking know, you're a goddamn synth!"

Piper pulled an object out of her pocket. Nora recognised it as a synth component. "That Piper you saw die that day in Diamond City? That was a synth. Don't believe me? Take the component to Amari. She'll show you its last moments. How it died in your arms." Piper sounded bitter. "I ran that day. From you, from everyone. From the Institute. If I stayed, Nat would be dead. You'd be dead. I eluded them for years. Eventually they thought I died. I even changed my fucking name, started a new damn life. Nobody has recognised me since then. You're the first person to."

Nora softened. "I'm sorry." Piper offered a weak smile and nodded. "It's just, you could've warned us, Piper. I suppose it's done and dealt with now." Nora spoke softly.

"I know, again, I'm sorry. And if you wanna get technical, it's Rachel now. According the the Railroad's new identity for me, I'm a runaway synth. I suppose that alias doesn't matter anymore though, now that the Institute is gone. Well done, Blue." Nora shivered when she heard Piper's old nickname for her.

"You've missed a lot in these five years, Piper. Deacon found someone and settled down with them. Cait is 100% sober, has been for about 2 years now. And she doesn't seem to resort to violence as an answer now. She kinda just keeps to herself. Dogmeat is getting a little bit old, but I think he's got a few good years left in him. Hancock is the same as ever, though I managed to get him off the chems. Goodneighbour is a much friendlier place, thanks to that. Mama Murphy passed peacefully in her sleep about a year ago." Nora paused and took a deep breath. "Preston... He... Passed too. About a year after you 'died'. We found him in his quarters in the Castle, hanging from the damn roof. Left a damn suicide note and everything. Didn't even know he was depressed. He was one of my best friends."

"Oh. Blue, I'm so sorry." Piper put an arm around Nora.

"You missed a few birthdays, too. I can officially say as of 2 months ago, that I hit the big 3-0. Nat is now 18. She looks a lot like you now too. She's even begun to accompany me on my travels, much like you used to. For the first 2 years, we kept the Publick running as best we could. But after a while, we just gave up. Was pointless without you there to help. I left Sanctuary and moved in with Nat." Piper was tearing up at the mention of her sister.

"I sure did miss a lot, huh?" Piper sniffled.

"Sure did." Nora put her own arm around Piper, resting her head on top of Piper's. "Come on, we've got a lot to catch up on. You've gotta tell me how you got that synth component, and we've gotta see Amari. Just to be safe."

"Lead the way."


	2. Out With The New, In With The Old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd update this fic before I upload the next chapter of Not The World I Wanted, which will be up soon. As always, please forgive any errors and enjoy!

Piper walked silently behind Nora as they made the journey to Diamond City. The silence between them was cold and bitter, but less so than any words spoken. Soon enough, they were at the gate to the city. Nora leaned towards the intercom to speak.

"Danny, it's Nora. Could you open the gate?" Nora's voice sounded like music to Piper's ears after such a long silence.

"Sure thing." Immediately after, the gate started rising.

Nora gestured for Piper to walk ahead, but Piper shook her head. "Suit yourself."

"Does anyone even remember me?" Piper's voice was small and quiet.

"Everyone does." Nora responded, a hint of sorrow present in her voice, before pushing open the smaller chain-link gate at the entrance to the actual city.

 They descended the stairs slowly, some guards (which Piper had noted populated the streets more densely) nodded to Nora, while some simply stared at Piper. They were now just outside of Publick Occurrences, which no longer had the signs on the building, and had been repainted. Piper blinked. 

She followed Nora inside, mumbling her displeasure about the building's new paint job. Inside was completely different to how the reporter remembered it. Her old couch was gone, replaced with a newer looking leather one. All the walls had a new coat of paint, and Nat's room now had a proper wall and door. 

"Where is she?" Piper's voice nearly broke.

"Hey, Nat?" Nora called out. Slowly, the room to her door opened.

"Yeah, what's up-" Nat stopped in her tracks. "P-Piper?"

"It's me," Piper was full on sobbing now. "Nat, I'm home."

Nat ran up to Piper and her face was greeted with a slap, yelling and asking where she'd been. Piper's emotions were running rampant, she knew she deserved the slap, but it didn't just sting physically. She decided the best way to shut Nat up would be to hug her, which proved to work. They stood there for what felt like an eternity, Piper breathing in everything that was her younger sister. Eventually, after Nora had cleared her throat with the subtly of a trainwreck, the sisters parted.

"Where've you been, Piper? 5 years. 5 years you left me and Nora in the dark." Nat was close to tears now, too.

"Everywhere, nowhere. After I 'died', I went on the run. Thought it be best for you and Blue, so you guys wouldn't be in danger. Eventually found the Railroad. For my safety, they branded me a runaway synth. It was through them I learned Nora took down the Institute." Piper had now sat down on the couch, Nat beside her. 

The two caught up for hours, Nora sitting there smiling at them, occasionally talking. Eventually, Nat stood up, mentioning something about a present. She withdrew to her room for a few minutes, returning with a familiar red bundle. She handed it to Piper.

"Nora has the cap, sits it on top of her wardrobe. I wear the coat sometimes when it's cold, but we want you to have them back." Nat spoke, her voice shaky. Piper stood up and hugged her sister again.

Piper sat with them for a few more hours, the two older women drinking beer and recounting stories over the past five years. Nat eventually bid the two of them goodnight and went to bed. Nora and Piper, however, decided against sleep, their heads buzzing and smiles on their faces as they chatted and laughed like old friends.


End file.
